But it has also emerged that he and Sonia held crisis talks with an official at Manchester City, where Johnson played until August 2012, as they grew ­concerned over his wild ways.

A former team-mate said: “Johnson’s parents were worried his lifestyle was affecting his performance on the pitch. He wasn’t playing much and they thought living in Manchester wasn’t helping.

“He had become notorious for his womanising and his parents asked for the meeting because they were desperate to get him to focus on his career.”

During his time in Manchester, Johnson lived in Cristiano Ronaldo’ s £4million mansion in Alderley Edge, the affluent Cheshire village with a strip of bars and restaurants popular with celebs. Johnson used it as a pick-up area – and it did not go unnoticed.

A source said: “City’s coaching staff would pass the strip on their way to work and his car would still be there in the morning. He wasn’t good at hiding his behaviour. Maybe he just didn’t care.”

Johnson – who partied with Danish model Julie Hall during a stag do in Dubai days before his first crown court ­appearance on the child sex charges last June – transferred to Sunderland in 2012 and was earning £60,000 a week.

He was ­arrested in March 2015.

But he continued to play for the Black Cats until his trial – pocketing £3million. Sunderland sacked Johnson when he admitted at the start of his trial last month to grooming and kissing the girl.

The club now faces serious questions over what it knew and when.

Johnson, who has 13-month-old daughter Ayla Sofia with ex Stacey Flounders, 26, was told he faces up to ten years when he is sentenced.